This health journey of mine has been a long process of peaks and valleys just like anybody else’s. I truly learn best from experience. It wouldn’t matter to me what I read on the interweb, what any of my friends had been through, or what any healthcare practitioners had told me. I think I needed to experience this journey for myself in order to really understand the process of healing. Not that I know everything there is to know about healing, but I know enough that I feel comfortable putting my knowledge out there into the world so that it can help other people. If you’re like me, and you…

Ya’ll have probably heard me talk about the benefits of ketosis before. You may have also heard me preach the benefits of fasting. The truth is, both of those things are key in my ever-improving health, but there is no one or two things I do to make myself feel optimal… it’s several things. My top seven things I do to get and keep myself feeling great all work through the same pathway, the PGC1 alpha pathway. If you want to know more about what that is and how I biohack mine, read on! What is the PGC1 Protein Pathway? PGC1 (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha) is…

I feel like I’m about to beat a dead horse, ya’ll … and I really don’t want to. Like I really, really don’t want to. For you guys, I would do anything, though. So here goes with the quick and dirty of it! There are two main energy pathways within our bodies. We can utilize glucose metabolism where our bodies take carbohydrates from our diet and convert them to energy. With this method, you get 4 kcal (units of energy) for every 1 gram of carbohydrate. The other option is to use fat for energy (ketosis) through the process of beta-oxidation. With beta-oxidation you get 9 kcal/units of energy…

I have long been a fan of chocolate As a child I loved milk chocolate, chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk, but no white chocolate and no dark chocolate… bleh. No thank you. I remember, one of the first ever migraines I got occurred as I was eating triple chocolate ice cream. Ya’ll know that white chocolate is not a real type of chocolate, right? It’s cocoa butter with lots of fake flavoring. As I transitioned into a Paleo lifestyle and then sugar-free/grain-free lifestyle I had to develop a taste for dark chocolate. Poor me, I know. The problem was that dark chocolate could sometimes induce a migraine, for me.…

Yesterday I was craving pancakes like crazy. I didn’t want to use any of the nut-based flowers I had on hand, because none of them were sprouted. I’m really trying to eat a low-lectin diet for autoimmune reasons. Nuts, unless fermented or sprouted, contain anti-nutrients like phytates and lectins, which have been linked to autoimmune disease in scientific literature all the way as far back as the 1980’s. My favorite low-lectin baking flour alternative? Cassava flour! It has a good texture, better for baking than nut-based flours, honestly. It is not as low-carb as nut-based flours, but the difference is still fairly negligible in the grand scheme of things. My…

If you’ve ever had insomnia then you know the desperation of wanting to get some quality sleep. Sleep can be an elusive, fickle friend if you aren’t familiar with the most basic reasons why our sleep cycles get disrupted so easily. In this post I’ll share some quick ideas that may help you determine why you’re unable to sleep and what you may want to try. Check the infographic below for an easy-to-follow quick reference! Workout Timing Naturally, your cortisol levels should be highest in the morning and gradually taper-off by night time. If your cortisol is too high at bedtime, your melatonin production will be blocked. Not only will…

What is candida overgrowth? Candida is a type of fungus that is naturally present in everyone’s body. In a healthy individual it is in balance with other types of microbes (microscopic fungus and bacteria). When you think of microbes living inside your body you probably think of your gut and you may even think of the term microbes as being synonymous with something pathogenic. That’s actually not the case. Not only does your gut have a microbiome, but so does the rest of your digestive tract (including your mouth, throat, and all the way down to your bottom) your skin, and even your reproductive tract (which is why vaginal birth is so…

I’m sure you’ve tried a supplement or diet or new habit to see what would happen. Maybe you had hormonal acne and Pinterest said to take high dose B5 (which I do NOT recommend) or someone told you to try high intensity interval training to lose the baby weight or freshman 15 and you gave it a shot. Maybe what you tried didn’t work for you, so you tried something else. Maybe you made some adjustments to make it fit you and your personal biochemistry. Then, guess what! You’re a biohacker and you didn’t even know it. In fact, women are among the first biohackers ever. Heard the term “old…

In my last post I wrote about my first several visits with an upper cervical specialist. As I mentioned previously, my ARNP referred me to the specialist after an upright MRI confirmed an 8mm Chiari Malformation. At the end of my first month of treatment, I initially felt that this method of treatment was causing more harm than good. After taking a little break (1-2 weeks) from upper cervical treatment, however, I was experiencing an increase in symptoms including unbearable migraines. One day, after one of the worst migraines I’ve ever had, I decided to go back and get an adjustment. The migraine disappeared after the adjustment. Not only did…

Pictured: My stage 2 degenerative disk disease in my neck. Also visible in this photo, my four titanium dental implants. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit within the past couple of years watching self-proclaimed yogis, fit chicks, and the like flipping their bodies upside down and throwing their legs up in all kinds of cool positions on social media. Although I really wanted to be able to do that kind of thing, a big part of me knew I’d never really be able to, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. Call it intuition. Back in Sept of 2017, just about 6 months ago, I had…

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Welcome!

My name is Elizabeth Abney Clark, or you may know me as Experimental Betty.
I am a self-healing expert, published scientific author, and founder of the Self-Healers for Life learning platform. On my blog, I share biohacking tips, recipes, new research, plus my personal journey from being sick, tired, and seriously struggling to feeling amazing every single day.